I would like to wish you all a very wonderful, prosperous and joyful 2015. The year comes just after we have had hard fought village elections. The year also begins and it inherits the major challenges and problems we had in 2014 and before. 2015 brings us to light to the key challengs facing our community. This is a New Year and for me it is a Year of action. I call upon you all from Ololosokwan and our friends beyond Ololosokwan to work together and support community initiatives to bring real development to our people who look upon us for the guidnce and support.

The people of Ololosokwan who are educated agreed to hold a phone conference to discuss and deliberate on the land matters. The particular subject of the day was the on-going lease negotiations between the village and Andbeyond Tanzania Ltd.

The conference, enabled by the Airtel Jirushe Tarrif, took off exactly as arranged and by the people who confirmed participation. Find the minutes in this page.

It was an historic moment for the people of Ololosokwan to connect Biharamulo, Kahama, Mbulu, Arumeru, Arusha and Ololosokwan as if the people were in the same room.

What is even more important was the passion and skills people put in the discussions, it all showed that we took the matter seriously. It is both a product of technology and education, John Parmwat rightly remarked.

I being on the ground, I got to listen to your contributions and the voices behind, I must say that you did your community a great service, and I for one am very proud.

Starting November 2012 to this moment, the people of Ololosokwan have not had a pint of peace. With Tanzania National Parks pushing to extend its boundary into the village land with help from Ministry of Lands and now the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism determined to reduce the village by 70% who can possibly sleep?

Our fears have been confirmed that the government is determined to establish a wildlife corridor on our villages land, a move that will produce landless people, bring permanent impoverishment of the Maasai people.

I do not entirely blame the Tanzanian government alone for this culture of moving and evicting the Maasai people off their lands. They have inherited from the British since 1959.

And now our streets are not peaceful, the people have despaired and are angry at anything and anybody! They want to resist this dangerous move by the government. We all do! How? I must ask!

What is even shocking is the reason behind. The government claims that it needs to ensure conservation and because the people cannot provide assurances to this end, the government must. We know that the government is looking enriching itself from the lucrative tourism industry which is increasing at a greater pace: from hunting to photographic.

We have become increasingly in agreement that we must demand to return to Serengeti – the land of our fathers, our ancestral land. That is where we will rest forever in peace.